Target Panic
TARGET PANIC Page 1 of 2
Target panic or Gold Fever is a big issue among shooters. I feel that shot execution problems are one of the largest contributing factors that hold an archer back from meeting their fullest potential. Many shooters blame it on equipment or other things, but in the end you cant just change equipment alone and fix the problem.
Changing release styles to a Stan style (triggerless), pinky, or middle finger activated release is only the first step. By changing the release you have a chance to train yourself with a new and hopefully correct habit. But, you have to treat the root of the issue to be totally free.
What is the root of the problem? I think it is very important to really understand where it came from before you can begin learning proper shot execution from the ground up.
Here’s how it happens to most people…
Many shooters start their release shooting career with a simple set of instructions. “Put the pin in the middle and squeeeeeeze the trigger.” It sounds simple enough, but there is one problem. As a new shooter, you can’t hold the pin in the middle of the target and monkey around with a new release aid at the same time. Eventually they unknowingly slip into a pattern of touching off the trigger as the sight wobbles over the center of the target. In the beginning they see fairly good accuracy and continue to imbed a reflexive trigger response.
Basically over time the shooter develops a hardwired connection between their trigger finger and their eye. The eye sees the pin cross the middle and it triggers the fire reflex. In target shooters this problem manifests itself as a rapid increase in scores and then a jagged average after that. The good days and the bad days are very far apart and the bad days are made worse by pressure and over-trying. The snowballing effect of pressure can be very frustrating at this stage.
The shooter first becomes aware of the problem when trying to increase their scores to the next level. As they become more stable and can hold the pin still on the target, subconsciously they hold off of the center because they are “not ready to shoot”. This slowly becomes freezing. Shooters then try to ease the pin or dot carefully into the center of the target. This works for a short time until their trigger reflex begins shooting too early. It is usually at this point a shooter realizes that there is a problem and they finally can feel the loss of control in their shot execution. Just after the freezing stage is the uncontrollable flinching, jerking, and the frustration from the total loss of control.
The good news is that you can break this habit just about as simply as you learned it.
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